Page 40 of Jared

“I think we should give them some time alone,” she said to Desmond softly. “We'll just be in the living room,” she continued to Jared, giving him a soft, sad smile.

“What's going on? Why did she look at me like that?” Jared asked in a panicked voice.

Steve averted his eyes. “I-I don't know quite how to tell you this.”

“Tell me what? Am I going to die or something?”

“Uh... or something?” Steve replied, sounding lost.

“Seriously? What is it?” Jared was torn between dread and extreme annoyance. If I'm not going to die, then what is it? For crying out loud.Just tell me!

I will, he heard.

Wait, 'heard' isn't quite right. I heard it, but not out loud. What the ever loving fuck?

Apparently because you're my True Mate, my bite uh...did things we didn't expect. And uh, other stuff...

Other stuff? What other stuff? And what do you mean 'things'?

Steve winced and turned away, taking a few short steps to stand by the window, gazing out. We genuinely thought it was legend. I'd have made doubly sure you were okay with it before otherwise...

Legend...wait! The bite- it turned me? I'm going to go furry?

Not exactly. You've been out of it for a few days, and when the doc figured out what was probably happening, he reached out to find out as much as he could. You, uh, don't become a wolf, but you can grow claws and fangs if need be as you have the blessing of the magic that made my kind. At least, I hope you see it as a blessing.

I'm able to grow claws and sharp teeth? Like, if I need to wolf out to protect myself, or only during full moons or what? And how the hell are we speaking?

Steve's shoulders tensed. That's a mate thing. Previously, we assumed only wolf to wolf matings allowed it, but it seems that as a True Mate to an alpha, the, uh, blessing, confers that ability to us as well. To uh, talk like this.

Jared took a moment to digest this. Then, what about the 'Grr... Look at me, I have wolf-man claws thing?'

Oh, that will happen during full moon shift times and ummm...when you need to let them out. Only as you allow though because there isn't actually a wolf within, just some of the manifestations.

Because of the 'blessing'...

“Yeah...

Okay, I can deal with that. What else aren't you telling me?

Uh...while trying to get a better picture of what was going on inside you, because, well, because your skin was rippling weirdly around your middle...

Just spit it out.

Doc wanted to see what was going on in there so he did a scan and uh...

Uh...what?

You seem to have developed a physical anomaly.

Jared sat up abruptly at that, clutching his head as dizziness overtook him in a sudden wave. 'hat the fuck do you mean, 'I've developed a physical anomaly'? What does that even mean?” he demanded.

Steve turned, a frightened look upon his face that Jared had never thought to see.

“Well, umm...the doc thinks it might be to grow an...an embryo...”

“Do what? You mean, like a baby? Are you shitting me?”

Steve blanched. “N-no. But um, those were really old legends and it was assumed the Alpha and his mate had used surrogates and ummm...it's too early to tell if there even is an embryo. So, it's, ah, still just a guess.”